Clark Haaland

Happiness Is Not Pleasure. I Kill Pleasure.

In a conversation with the actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, the philosopher Simon Critchley began to define happiness as synonymous with pleasure. “I have to say,” Hoffman intervened, “you’re starting to define happiness in a way that pertains to pleasure. But I would definitely say that pleasure is not... See more

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." —Howard Thurman

We are broken things, amongst other broken things. We are imperfect and characterised by our capacity to fuck things up, yet still we can move incrementally towards the greater good. This serves as grounds for both self-forgiveness and hope, and reflects our inherent human loveliness.

We all have a job to do, and it is urgent business. We must make... See more

"The 4 qualities of a great career:

1. I enjoy it


2. I'm good at it


3. I make good money


4. I’m around fascinating people

Answer in reverse order:

1. Where are fascinating people?


2. In what ways can I make money with them?


3. Which ones am I good at?


4. Which ones do I enjoy?"

I wrote in Faith, Hope and Carnage , ‘Hope is optimism with a broken heart'. This means that hope has an earned understanding of the sorrowful or corrupted nature of things, yet it rises to attend to the world even still. We understand that our demoralisation becomes the most serious impediment to bettering the world. In its active form, hope is a... See more